Inveraray Jail Blog

Before arriving at Inveraray Jail, visitors can hardly fail to notice how well laid out and uniform much of the town appears to be. This is no accident, or perhaps it is; a historical one. For had it not been for the vision, some might say vanity, of one man, Inveraray would most likely still… Read More

Scotland is famous for its fabulous food and drink. People from all over the world come here to sample the freshest seafood, enjoy the tastiest lamb, beef and game and sip the finest whisky. In fact, 2015 is the ‘Scottish Year of Food and Drink’, when people around the country are celebrating all that’s great… Read More

Inveraray Jail has a reputation as one of Scotland’s most haunted locations. Staff and visitors alike have reported feeling icy drafts, hearing eerie footsteps and experiencing strange sensations. So imagine how scary it would be to spend a night locked up in the dark, cold cells with the jail’s spirits, spooks and spectres for company…. Read More

We all have them: people who are nearly impossible to buy Christmas presents for. You know who the tough ones on your list are: the teenage niece, the dad who doesn’t do Christmas, the friend who’s got everything. And then there’s the dreaded Secret Santa… But never fear, this year Inveraray Jail’s shop manager Marion… Read More

The Old Prison was a tough place for female prisoners. They had to share filthy, damp and overcrowded cells with men. Originally there was no water closet or washroom, and there would have been very little security or privacy. On top of that, all the prison staff were men. The situation all changed after the… Read More

Cold, damp and dark: life in Inveraray Jail’s Old Prison was full of hardship. It was also very boring. There was no place to exercise and no work or education was provided. Time must have dragged for those poor souls who found themselves locked up in the early 1800s. Fast forward 50 years and things… Read More

The first half of the 19th century – the period which saw the initial construction and further development of Inveraray Jail – was also a time of prison reform in Britain. The idea of simply removing criminals from society before releasing them, often hardened, embittered or otherwise adversely affected by their experience in jail, began… Read More

The prisoners are a bit jittery. The word in the cells is that a hoard of Vikings is rampaging up Loch Fyne intent on raiding Inveraray. Rumour has it that they plan to loot, pillage and party like it’s 1093! It’s all part of the Loch Fyne Viking Festival which starts today (Wednesday 25th). This… Read More

The appeal of Inveraray Jail may lie in its special ability to connect us with the past, but that doesn’t mean the present isn’t a welcome visitor to our wonderful loch-side location now and again. And what could be more current than a visit from the Commonwealth Games? Granted, it might not have been Mo… Read More

Inveraray Jail opened to the public exactly 25 years ago this month. And in that quarter century it has become one of Scotland’s leading tourist attractions, offering a unique insight into crime and punishment in 19th-century Scotland. But how did the prison, which ceased to operate in 1889, survive intact for so long until its… Read More